1.
EffectiveTime
Management in
College

2.
Here’s the
truth…
 Managing your time is not something that you
will become a master at, instead it is a
continuously developing skill!
 Think of it as fluid vs. fixed
 Your weekly, daily, and monthly obligations will
change
 Ex. Exam week vs. not, semester vs. summer, in
school vs. working
 Keep this in mind:
 There is no ONE RIGHT way to manage time well
 Keep a metaphorical “tool belt” of resources and
ideas on how to stay on top of tasks & manage
your time

3.
Finding
HiddenTime  Take advantage of time that is usually wasted
 TIP: Fill in a weekly schedule with everything that
happens consistently 7 is a fixed part of your schedule,
then look at all the open time/space!!
1. Stay on campus - always carry “pocket work,” so
you have something to do if you find an extra
moment
2. Look over/reiterate class material immediately after
class, during the time you are walking to your car, or
waiting for a friend
a. Record study information, and play it back when you
are getting ready or driving
 There’s lots of valuable time
hidden in every day
 ** the feeling of not having enough time in the day,
usually means you did not prioritize/plan well
 Prioritizing let’s you focus on the most
important things – so even if you don’t get to
everything on your list, but only what you
deemed high importance, you can look at that
as a well managed day!
 TIP: create a to do list, then put a post it note on top
and list the “high important to do’s there”

4.
Work expands, to fit the
time allotted
 We take as long for tasks as we
perceive we have– can you think
of an example?
 In order to combat this effect,
set time/work goals for yourself,
so you don’t end up working on
assignments until the last
minute, just because you can
 Ex. Set an earlier due date for
yourself, which gives you time
to make edits & review OR not
worry about the assignment in
the days elaidng up
 See Time Blocking: A useful
technique above!!

5.
Take time to
Save time
 Keeping in Mind Parkinson's Law, when
planning, think about: How long does it take
me to complete certain tasks?
 Where should that time fall into your schedule?
 Ex. 3 page paper – takes some students 5 hours
over the course of 3 days, others 3 hours in one
day – whatever it is for you, block that time in
your schedule!
 Take time to organize and plan!
 Gives you a starting point (where as you may not
know what to do first, and then do nothing!)
 Let’s you look at your day & makes everything in
your day/week seem less intimidating
 Alerts you that you may be stretching yourself
thin, which encourages you to have a
conversation with someone, assess what’s in
your life, cut things out, take a step back and
breathe!

6.
Distractions
 You will never get rid of a distraction outright,
instead think of distractions as something
within your control
 If your phone is a distraction:
 Use it as a reward to look through for 15
minutes after an hour of work
 Put it somewhere that is out of sight = out of
mind
 Under a stack of the
textbooks/assignments you are working
on, in a desk drawer, across the room, in
your bag
 Roommates / family /
friends:
 Work somewhere else!
Find another spot on
campus, in your Res. Hall
building, in your town to
complete tasks you are
typically distracted from
 If you go to a
different setting,
you are likely to get
more done in less
time, so you can be
around them sooner
and dedicate time
solely to them!